Red Sky In The Morning
by StephOTH23
Summary: When Percy Jackson's first love is cruely ripped away from him by one of the giants, he vows to himself that he will avenge her death. However, a god must accompany him to help him slay the giant, but what do the fates have in store for the two? Just give it a shot, you may like it. Sorry, I suck at summaries : Rated T, just in case .
1. A warrior's last wish

**A/N: Hi there, this is my first Pertamis, and I'm trying to make it a little different to whats already available. Please review it telling me what you do/don't like. I actually quite like flames, so feel free to send those too ;)**

**I'd like to say thank you to my wonderful Beta 'Ageofmyths' and strongly advise you read her stories, they are amazing!**

**Again, reviews = very much appreciated, so hit that button!**

**Here it is:**

Percy Jackson was holding a mangled body in his arms, tears sliding down his face. Blonde ringlets covered the face of the corpse, and Percy brushed them aside to find a pair of stormy grey eyes staring back at him.

No; they weren't staring back at him – they were staring through him. Glazed over, emotionless, reflecting the bloody battlefield that lay before him.

"Annabeth…" A strangled whisper escaped the boy's mouth and he remembered how she'd died.

_Annabeth Chase was bravely fighting alongside her mother Athena against Enceladus. The giant thrust his spear in her direction, but she blocked the blow with the hilt of her bronze dagger, and pounced towards him, quickly stabbing his calf before darting back out of the giant's reach. Next to her, her mother Athena jabbed and blocked with her spear. Flashing Annabeth one proud smile, before immersing herself in the battle once more, Athena couldn't help but feel proud of her daughter. _

_Enceladus had been born for the purpose of destroying Athena, and was intent on doing so. Annabeth, being wise, and the daughter of the goddess of battle strategy saw that she could use this to her advantage. While Enceladus, bane of Athena, concentrated on the goddess, the demi-god sprung into to action. Enceladus was fully occupied with Athena, so Annabeth was able to dive unnoticed between the giant's legs, twirling and jabbing, and slicing and dicing with her dagger all the while nimbly avoiding the giant's heavy steps. Before long, Annabeth had hacked off the giant's right foot. Golden ichor spewed from the wound, as the giant fell to the floor, unable to remain balanced. The bone was protruding from the leg sickeningly. As the giant fell to the floor his nemesis appeared next to his face. Now they were on eye-level, the goddess stared coldly into his face. _

"_I am Athena, bane of Enceladus," She yelled in a battle-cry, plunging her spear into his eye. It exploded, and a fountain of golden ichor burst out, until he finally exploded into a glittering cloud of golden dust. _

_Annabeth turned around to see her boyfriend Percy Jackson grinning at her proudly. He and Poseidon had defeated Polybotes and had then seen the way in which his girlfriend had, quite literally, brought Enceladus to his knees. _

_Looking round, most of the giants were dead, with only one remaining. It was Gration, bane of Artemis. She furiously shot arrows at him while her hunters did the same. _

_The giant bellowed with a chilling laugh. "It seems your fellow god's have defeated my brothers, but you cannot stop me. They say you are the protector of maiden's my dear Artemis… Try and protect this one!" He leaned down and grabbed Annabeth by her curly blonde hair, and hurled her down Mt. Olympus. The gods and demigods gasped in collective horror, and while they were distracted, Gration stealthily fled. Artemis threw her bow to the ground in fury._

_Percy however, was just sprinting. Further and further down the Mountain he ran until he found the crumpled form of the girl he love. Her bones had shattered inside her body, and Percy had sunk to his knees and scooped her into his arms. _

That was where he was now.

Athena, and Poseidon joined him soon after; Athena stroking her deceased daughter's hair and the sea god, holding his favourite son, as Perseus Jackson's entire body wracked with ground shaking shudders as he sobbed. The ground-shaking part was quite literal. His grief tapped into his powers, and had begun a small earthquake.

The sight was pitiful, and Zeus took pity and nodded towards Morpheus who lulled Percy into a deep sleep.

**x-x-x**

When Percy awoke he found himself in a bright white room. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he noticed he wasn't alone. In fact, he was pretty far from it. Surrounding him were fourteen huge thrones, each of which were occupied by a twelve foot figure; it appeared that while he was unconscious Hestia and Hades had been reinstated into the Olympic Pantheon. The previous day's events rushed to his mind, and a tear slid down his cheek. He turned to Athena, and her beautiful face was haggard, confirming his nightmare.

Unsteadily, he rose to his feet.

Zeus addressed the demigod directly. "Percy Jackson, the twice saviour of Olympus, do you accept our offer of godhood?"

The Olympians looked at him expectantly.

"No."

Poseidon, Hestia and Athena were the only three who weren't shocked by this. Poseidon smiled sadly. He knew his son wouldn't accept; he didn't want the power, and Hestia realised the same. Athena, however, expected his reasons were similar to his motives for rejecting the god's first offer of this kind - namely, her daughter. If Percy became immortal he could never be with Annabeth again, as he could never join her in the Elysium fields.

No, Percy did not wish for immortality. In fact, what he longed for was quite the opposite.

"I want you to kill me," Percy looked each of the Olympians in the eye so they could not doubt his sincerity. Several gasps sounded in the room and Poseidon had half risen out of his throne in outrage, but Percy hailed his hand up as a request for silence so he could continue. The gods obliged, mainly because they were still taken aback by the boy's unusual request. "But first I need to be granted a quest, so I can go kill that bastard of a giant Gration. He wasn't killed in the battle and I wish to avenge Annabeth's death."

He was staring right into the eyes of Zeus, who surveyed Percy with a mix of apprehension and grudging respect. He was also slightly peeved that Perseus Jackson had declined his offer of godhood _again_.

"I would be willing to grant you this quest on the spot boy," said the King of Gods. "But to kill Gration, you would need the assistance of one of us Olympians."

Percy Jackson nodded imperceptibly, not breaking eye contact with the ruler of the heavens. He wanted more than anything for this; it was his last wish.

"Very well." Zeus gazed around the throne room. He analysed the Olympians deciding who to send.

Of course, it would not be Zeus or his wife Hera. They must stay on Olympus to rule the heavens.

This ruled out Hades and Poseidon as well. They must stay to watch over their respective domains, something Zeus doubted Poseidon would be happy about.

Hestapheus was tinkering with some kind of trinket. He knew he had no responsibility here, and would not be chosen.

Ares seemed to be sinking into his chair: He had no wish to accompany a demi-god he hated on a quest of undeterminable length, as much as he loved a fight.

Hestia would not have objected to going, but her place was on Olympus – she must tend to the hearth and keep the flames burning.

Aphrodite was practically jumping from her seat. It was no secret between the gods that she desired young Perseus. For a second Zeus considered allowing Aphrodite to join him, just to see the look on Poseidon's face. Zeus held in a chuckle.

Dionysus was asleep in his chair. The wine god would be more of a hindrance than a help, what with his alcoholic, party-loving ways.

Hermes could not leave. There were too many important messages to deliver in the aftermath of the war. His duties would keep him occupied. The same applied to Apollo. His healing powers were very much in demand, due to the multitude of demi-gods and minor deities that had been injured.

Demeter was finally happy to have peace, and she really just wished to relax now the war was over. Zeus would not inflict any more conflict onto his gentle sister.

Athena gazed at her father imploringly. She wished to be chosen for the task, as she too wished to seek revenge for the death of her favourite child, even if it meant travelling with the sea spawn. She would be suitable for the job, she was battle-ready still, and would not be happy, would not consider the war over until Annabeth was avenged.

However, there was somebody with a responsibility to fulfil who would accompany Perseus Jackson on his quest.

"Artemis," Zeus's words brought Artemis out of her reverie. She had been certain that she would not be selected to join the quest – it entailed travelling with a _boy_ and that was not something Artemis, Goddess of Maidens did. However, Zeus continued before she could argue. "It was your responsibility to bring down Gration. You failed in your duty, and now you shall fulfil it. You shall join Perseus on his quest."

"But, father-"

"No arguments, Artemis."

Artemis's face became thunderous. The glare that she shot Percy made the boy gulp. He'd got more than he'd bargained for with this quest. He'd equipped himself to deal with Athena; somebody who he'd thought would be a likely candidate to join him. At least they would have been united in their goal to avenge Annabeth.

But Artemis? He hadn't even contemplated the idea of the man-hating goddess being his companion; Hades, he hadn't even considered it plausible.

"The two of you shall depart in the morning. Get some rest, the both of you, you'll need it come tomorrow. And Percy, Artemis is the leader of this quest. You do as she says, boy; obey her commands."

"But father, the hunters?" Artemis was unable to resist putting up some kind of resistance to the fate she was being consigned to.

"I'm certain Thalia will be able to lead them adequately in your absence."

A scowl on her face, she took off. A bright light shone as she disappeared from her throne, presumably departed to inform her huntresses of her plight.

Percy bowed, and turned to leave, but was stopped by a soft voice.

"Percy, wait." Hestia beckoned the demi-god towards her. "It would do me a great honour if you would consent to be my champion."

"I do not plan to live for much longer Lady Hestia." Poseidon winced at his son's words, while Aphrodite pouted. _Such a waste…_ "But I would be honoured to be your champion for as long as I'm alive."

Hestia smiled and placed her hand on his forehead. Percy felt a warm glow spread through him causing every fibre of his being to tingle in a rather delightful manner.

"What does it do?" Percy asked curiously, gazing at his softly illuminated skin in wonder.

"You'll see soon enough." Hestia drew the boy in for a hug and kissed him on the forehead before releasing him. "Do me proud, my champion."

Percy turned to leave but was interrupted once more, this time by someone rather unexpected.

"Here," A gruff voice echoed through the throne room, while the trinket Hestapheus had been fiddling with throughout the meeting sailed through the air towards Percy, who caught it in one hand. It was a ring: a simple band of dark grey metal which Percy recognised as Stygian steel with wavy silver lines. Percy slipped it on and spun it around as he did so. Reacting to the twist, the ring ballooned in to a dark grey shield, embellished with cresting waves outlined in silver. It was beautiful, and no doubt unbreakable, much like Thalia's shield Aegis.

"Thank you Hestapheus." Percy was astounded to receive such a kind gift from a god whom he did not know well.

"No, boy, thank you for saving my home. Twice." Gratitude showed in the crippled god's eyes.

Percy nodded, while Aphrodite eyed him contemplatively.

"I have a gift for you too Percy!" the Love Goddess trilled in a sing-song voice.

"Percy, run!"

Percy did not hesitate to follow his father's advice, bolting from the throne room, while being pursued by a pouting Aphrodite.

He found himself at a small cottage where a sea-nymph greeted him and showed him to a bedroom. Settling down for the night, Percy wondered what was yet to come.

After battling with insomnia, Morpheus finally allowed the tired demi-god to sink into sleep, his mind haunted by visions of Annabeth's broken body.

**x-x-x**

Percy awoke at first light the next morning. Swiftly getting changed he checked that Riptide was in his pocket and scooped up the rucksack the sea-nymph from the night before had assured him contained any provisions he might need.

He bade farewell to the nymph, but as soon as he was out the door, he was blocked by the intimidating presence of Athena. For once, however, it appeared she had not come to express the fact that she disapproved of him. Instead she pressed something into his hands.

"Take this," Athena pleaded. "Make sure when you kill him, you use this to make the final blow."

Percy looked at the object in his hands. It was Annabeth's dagger. A tear trickled down his face.

"I will, I swear it on the river Styx." He stroked the flat of the polished blade with his finger. This was all he had left of the girl he loved.

"Artemis is waiting for you by the gates of Olympus. Good luck, young hero." With that, Athena flashed away.

Percy carefully stashed the dagger away in his backpack, before making his way to the great golden gates that were the entrance to the home of the gods, each small step bringing him closer to his destiny.

**A/N: So there you have it. Review if you like it, or if you don't ;)**


	2. The lion, the goat and the serpent

**A/N: So here it is guys! The second installment of Red Sky in the Morning. This is a little over 6.5k words not including the author's notes, and 12 pages in word. It's officially the longest thing I've ever written, so enjoy!**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed or favourited, and anyone who does so in the future. It'f for people like you I write long chapters like these. (Long for me that is. Starblade has a chapter that's like 58k words or something amazing like that, it's like half a book).**

**And as always, thank you to my wonderful beta 'Ageofmyths'. Check out his stories guys, you won't be disappointed! If it wasn't for him this story would be a mess of stupid mistakes, rambling non-useful things that didn't make sense at all, bad spelling and incorrect grammar, as well as some information I may have got wrong in this chapter before he corrected me. He's a life saver guys! If it wasn't for him this story would suck, and he also helps with motivation and ideas and stuff. He is a really good writer too, so as I said previously, CHECK OUT HIS STORIES!**

**Anyway, that's enough from me! Please review!**

Artemis was tapping her foot impatiently as she leant back against the shining golden gates that guarded the entrance to Olympus. Having just finished flying her moon chariot, she was already prepared to get going on this hunt, or as Zeus called it, the quest. Her stomach was churning, an unfamiliar feeling for her, as apprehension - and was that nervousness? – swirled around inside of her. Artemis had been on many an adventure, many a hunt: solo hunts, hunts with her Hunters, with other Olympians. But only once with one mortal man, before this, and Artemis wasn't happy about trying again. Last time she had hunted with a man, it was Orion, and she ended up killing him. Poseidon would probably blast her into Tartarus if she killed another of his children.

She was beginning to tire of waiting when she saw a figure approach. He was a good hundred metres away, but her sharp eyes took in his dark hair and tall, lean figure. It was Percy.

For a second, the anxiousness Artemis had been feeling flashed upon her face. She really did not want to kill this demi-god as she had his brother. However, before he became close enough to be able to discern the expression on her face, she fixed her features into a haughty mask, and glared at him in disdain.

"You're late." She frowned at him.

He stared back at her. "We didn't set a time, Lady Artemis. I didn't even know where we were meeting until Lady Athena informed me."

Artemis opened her mouth to argue, but then she realised that he was right. Feeling flustered, she hid that fact and narrowed her eyes at him. It was not often a mere boy corrected her about anything. Most would have just apologised out of fear, and let the fact that she was wrong slide, but not Percy Jackson. This boy had enough enemies as it was; he should learn to hold his tongue instead of going around cheeking maiden goddesses.

"Let's go." Artemis whipped around, not waiting for Percy's response and headed for the elevator that would take them down to the lobby of the Empire State Building; Zeus had sought her out before she left to guide the moon, and informed her that she and Percy must stick together at all times, much to her displeasure. This is what stopped her from just teleporting down and waiting for Percy. Flashing him away with her would require for her to touch him, something Artemis wasn't willing to do. It was bad enough she'd have to spend a considerable amount of time with the boy.

When they emerged into the bustling streets of New York, Artemis transformed into her eighteen year old self. Two young adults seemed more inconspicuous than a teenaged boy and a young girl, especially a pair that did not look remotely alike.

"If we get to upstate New York we can travel through the forests. How does that sound to you?" Artemis's question was menacing, more of a statement than an idea. If Percy objected she'd just force him into it.

Percy just shrugged.

The two walked through the bustling streets of Manhattan in silence, each wrapped in their own thoughts.

Artemis was broken from her musings as a shaky voice belonging to an old woman spoke to her. Percy also looked up distractedly as the voice interrupted his daydreams of Annabeth.

"You and your boyfriend look so cute together!" Cooed the wrinkly old lady, nudging her two equally haggard friends who nodded and smiled gummily, thanks to the absence of teeth in their mouths.

They looked familiar, but neither Percy nor Artemis could place their fingers on why they recognised them.

"We're not together." If looks could kill, the elderly woman would be dead and buried. Artemis looked repulsed at the idea of being in a relationship with Percy.

The old ladies merely sighed and shook their heads knowingly, in a way that infuriated Artemis. Her hand reached for the dagger that rested upon her hip, an action that was not missed by Percy. Grabbing her arm, he pulled her away. As soon as the old women were out of sight Percy let go of Artemis and seemed to wipe his hands on his jeans before placing it back in his pocket.

Artemis frowned. She would never admit it, but she was offended and a little hurt at the action. It implied that she repulsed him as much as he disgusted her, a foreign feeling to Artemis. Despite her hatred of men, she had always enjoyed the fact that she was considered beautiful; once she had killed a girl who boasted of being prettier than her.

"You can't just go around stabbing old ladies, Artemis!" Scolded Percy.

Artemis was so surprised at being told off by a demi-god _boy_ that instead of arguing back she just nodded dumbly. However, a moment later, she returned to her senses and snarled at him spitefully. "If you ever _dare_ talk to me like that again I'll turn you into a jackalope and shoot you."

"Fine by me, as long as you wait until I've killed Gration." Percy turned away, blocking out the world by popping his iPod headphones into his ears. He had taken to listening to some of the stuff Thalia had downloaded onto it. It blared through his brain so loudly it blocked out his thoughts.

They walked for hours on end: Artemis refused to take any kind of public transport or steal a car. Finally reaching the forests of upstate New York, they decided to set up camp for the night as Apollo's chariot was sinking below the horizon. In light of the quest, Artemis had entrusted her duties with the moon to a minor goddess, so she could concentrate on getting the quest over and done with.

They had found the perfect spot to camp: a small clearing surrounded by thick undergrowth to protect them from prying eyes. The clearing was scattered with logs to sit upon, and best of all – in Percy's opinion anyway – was the babbling brook that ran alongside the campsite.

Percy delved into his bag to find that it held a lot more than it seemed to. Included in the supplies he had been provided with was a tent. Pulling it out, he attempted to set it up, but to no avail. Not for the life of him could he work out how to get the tent to stand. Artemis's tent had been standing for the last 20 minutes; she had seemed to manage to put up her tent in a matter of seconds.

The goddess watched as Percy laboured over the tent. _Typical, stubborn male, _she thought,_ won't ask for help even when he clearly needs it._

Taking pity on him, she waved her hand at the tent, and it erected itself.

"Thank you Lady Artemis."

Percy stored his possessions inside the tent before coming back outside. He noticed Artemis shivering, so he collected a large pile of sticks, as well as a smaller one of dried grass for kindling. As he was about to go to the tent to see if matches had been included in his provisions, Percy remembered Hestia's blessing. He closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment. When he opened them a small green flame flickered at his fingertips. He set the small campfire alight, and began making his body catch fire. Thankfully, his clothes seemed immune to the tendrils of flame that danced across his skin.

Artemis was confused as to how Percy was doing it. At first she thought that he had caught on fire, and wondered why, as a son of Poseidon, he didn't just extinguish himself. Then she realised that he was controlling the blaze, and moved closer – partly because she was cold, and partly because she wanted a better view of the fire show in front of her.

Percy noticed Artemis looking at him. "Hestia asked me to be her champion."

Artemis nodded, her exterior calm, her face covered by a smooth mask of indifference**.** Inside, however, her feelings were more conflicted. She had been inclined to treat the boy like dirt purely because of the fact he was male, but if Hestia deemed him worthy to be her champion, she might need to reconsider. Most of the gods didn't look kindly on people mistreating the heroes they favoured. Besides, he had saved her and her home multiple times. He _did_ deserve her respect, no matter how grudging.

She was lifted from her reverie by a quiet chuckle. It came, of course from Percy, who was still playing with his new powers. He had set his chin on fire, and also the skin between his upper lip and nose, causing it to look like he had a ginger beard and moustache. He was looking at his reflection in his sword.

The pure innocence and naivety of the moment caused the corners of Artemis's mouth to curl upwards, while the amusing sight of Percy's face caused her to… giggle?

The unexpected sound brought Percy back to reality and as he set eyes on Artemis's laughing face the moment ended. The flames died out, as did the laughter. Sorrow returned to his eyes, and the corners of his mouth turned firmly downwards. Artemis's lips mirrored his. She had been enjoying the spectacle, as well as seeing the boy smile – he had looked so sad ever since Annabeth Chase had died.

Percy muttered a quick 'goodnight' before withdrawing to his tent. Pulling a packet of chips from his bag he lay back and stared at the ceiling of the tent. He was in love with Annabeth, that much was certain. So why, he wondered, did Artemis's soft, musical laugh have such a strange effect on him. His heart had fluttered, and for a second his mind went numb and all he could think of was a pair of gleaming silver eyes.

The next morning Percy was surprised to find that he had awakened before Artemis. His dreams had been sodden in memories of Annabeth and he woke up crying. He hated this sadness; it weighed on his shoulders, crushing him. He'd be willing to take the sky again rather than deal with this.

Looking at the aforementioned sky, Percy was filled by an ominous sense of dread as he took in the red-tinted morning sky. An old memory he hadn't recalled in years dragged itself up to the forefront of his mind.

_He was a young boy, just six or seven years old. His mother had married smelly Gabe a few months before and already he was beginning to show his true colours. Tentatively touching a finger to his swollen lip, he whimpered softly. There was dried blood on his chin, mixed with the salty remnants of his tears. He wished he could still cry now, but he heard his mother come home, and he would be strong for her. He would not let her know he was hurting because it would only make her sad, and that was the last thing he wanted._

_However, his efforts to be strong for his mother didn't stop the horror that showed on his mother's face as she took in the puffy lip and the black eye. _

"_What happened Percy?" She asked, caressing his face._

"_I-I fell down the stairs again mommy, but I'm fine now."_

_Sally Jackson was not a fool and didn't believe her son for a moment, just like she hadn't the multitude of times before. "I'm so sorry baby," she wept, holding him close. "I'm so sorry." _

_She cradled him in her arms until the sun began to set. "Look baby, red sky at night. That's a good sign." _

"_Is it really momma?" Percy asked, hardly daring to hope._

"_Yes Percy…Red sky at night, shepherd's delight, red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning… It's meant to be about the weather but my mother always told me that a red sky at night was a sign that things were going to get better."_

_Percy looked at the vermilion sky and prayed that his mother was right._

Percy wiped away a tear that had welled at the corner of his eye as he recalled the memory. Back then his mother had told him that a red sky at _night_ was a good omen. Now the morning sky was tinted scarlet and Percy wondered if the storms it would bring were only a metaphor for the troubles he and Artemis would encounter on their journey. For the first time ever in his life, Percy prayed to the gods that his mother was wrong. As of yet she'd never given him false advice and he couldn't help but feel the red sky was a warning. Her words reverberated through his brain.

_Red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning…_ or rather, demigod's warning.

Percy started to take down his tent; they'd have to move on in just a few hours. Suddenly, a noise sounded in the thick undergrowth that put Percy on red alert and he brandished his sword and casted his eyes around suspiciously. Nothing moved, and Percy resumed his task.

Just as he was finishing packing away the tent a huge black mass leapt at him from the shadows. He barely had time to roll out of the way before another 4 beasts started attacking.

"Freaking hellhounds!"

Pushing himself to his feet, he pulled Riptide out of his pocket and uncapped it. He spun the sword the instant it was in his hand, pulverising a hellhound in the process. However, more and more hellhounds burst forth from the shadows. Percy was begin to feel slightly overwhelmed – he hadn't seen this many hellhounds together in a pack since the first battle of Olympus after the second Titan war, except now he didn't have to curse of Achilles protecting him. Remembering Hephaestus' gift he twisted the band of metal on his finger, and it instantly erupted into a shield.

He was amazed that Artemis was sleeping through the riotous battle that was taking place a few feet from where she lay sleeping. As he ducked and dodged away from the hell hounds he danced his way over to the goddess's tent. He held his shield up to block any attacks getting through and unzipped Artemis's tent, praying to the heavens that she was decent. However, the tent was empty.

Just as he straightened up from peering into her tent he heard a woman's scream somewhere in the distance. What made it so interesting, though, was that this was not one of fear, but clearly one of fury. Percy had found Artemis. Now Percy just had to fight his way through the sea of monsters before him so he could reach her. He had no doubt the goddess was facing something both more powerful and more menacing than those hellhounds.

His blade whirled around in a deadly blur of motion as he side stepped and dodged, clouds of dust erupting wherever he swung his impeccably placed blade. His shield, albeit providing fantastic protection, had become a heavy encumbrance as he hadn't fought with a shield in a long while, and it interfered with his usual fighting style of nimble speeds and crashing blows. It slowed him down, allowing more monsters to reach him. Oftentimes a hellhound would scrape a heavy paw down his leg leaving three long straight scratches from its metallic claws.

Nevertheless Percy was certainly faring better than the hell hounds that were being killed left, right and centre.

Piles of golden dust lay on the floor as the monsters' essences returned to Tartarus. He capped riptide and it shrunk back into a pen. Suddenly, a tremendous wave of pain assaulted him as a huge snarling hound's massive teeth sunk deep into his left shoulder and he sunk to his knees. He pulled out Riptide once again, but he wasn't quite quick enough, and once more a crushing agony filled him. This time the fangs of the beast sliced through the flesh near his ankle, like a hot knife through butter.

A scream of agony and rage burst forth from his lips as he plunged his sword into the hellhound's flank. It yelped in pain as it dissolved into dust.

Percy was about to make a start for the nectar and ambrosia he had lying in his pack when another shriek sounded from within the forest. This time there was an edge of terror to it, so he ignored the screaming pain in his shoulder and ankle and ran through the forest as fast as he could. It was tremendously painful, but it didn't hurt nearly as much as losing Annabeth.

As Percy sprinted lopsidedly through the woods, his attention was caught by a large snarl. Knowing he'd probably regret this, he turned and ran towards it. What he saw there, he wasn't prepared for. Artemis stood unarmed facing a three headed massive monster. One was a lion, one a goat and the other a snake. It was the Chimera.

Percy remembered his first encounter with the Chimera when he was just twelve years old. That hadn't ended well, with him falling off of the St Louis Gateway Arch and all.

Wondering where her magical bow was, Percy could only assume that Echidna was somehow stopping Artemis from summoning it, or any other weapon for that matter. It appeared the goddess had been dragged out of bed while he slept as, while her attire was in some ways similar to her hunting wear, it seemed that Artemis was wearing pyjamas. Percy cursed himself for being such a heavy sleeper; he should have woken up because of the disturbance.

"Oh Styx!" Percy cursed. The only hero ever to defeat the fearsome beast was Bellerophon, and he'd had the help of Pegasus. _Gosh, where's Blackjack when you need him_. Whistling loudly Percy prayed to the gods that the black pegasi was near, or any pegasi for that matter. Artemis, even though she was a goddess, didn't stand a chance against the monster unarmed. She wouldn't be able to get near it for it would just frazzle her to a crisp with its flaming breath.

For Percy, on the other hand, this wasn't a problem what with being Hestia's champion and a son of Poseidon. He'd almost given up on the chance of assistance when a familiar winged horse landed at his side.

_Hey boss, what can I do for ya? How d'ya know I was round this parts anyway? _

"I didn't, I was just lucky. Now I need your help." Percy swung his leg over the pegasi's back and settled down, getting ready for action. He pointed towards the chimera that appeared to be waiting for instruction from Echidna. Neither the monsters nor Artemis had noticed the presence of the boy and the winged horse as of yet. When Blackjack had registered the fact that the mother of all monster's and arguably her most powerful son lay in the clearing before him, he reared slightly, his nostrils flaring as he exhaled sharply.

_Whoa boss, are you crazy? I remember once I told you I didn't want to be a horse-ke-bob. That goes for being grilled like a piece of bacon too!_

Percy rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, I have a plan."

He was lying.

_That's exactly what I was afraid of,_ Blackjack groaned in response.

Before they could argue anymore, they heard Echidna cackle. "Go on sonny boy, eat her up….Save me the eyes though, they look delicious…" She hissed, leering into Artemis's face. Percy felt a blast of fury; no-one was going to eat Artemis on his watch. Instead of screaming or crying or begging for mercy (which in this situation would be a very forgivable thing to do) Artemis gave the Mother of all Monsters a contemptuous look and spat squarely in her face.

Percy would have laughed, but Echidna's face twisted in fury and she sharply motioned to the Chimera who sunk low into a stalking position, ready to pounce, smoke rising from the goat's nostrils while the lion opened its terrible maw to showcase his impressive teeth. They were five inches long, razor sharp and an unpleasant yellow colour. The same went for the beast's claws. The serpent section of the chimera swayed from side to side hissing, its fangs protruding from its mouth.

Blackjack burst into the air, as Percy activated his sword and shield, ignoring the searing pain in his shoulder. Echidna cursed at him furiously, while the Chimera instantaneously diverted its attention towards the flying horse. The monstrous beast shot a jet of flame at the pair and Percy used his shield to protect Blackjack while the flames blew straight through him, as if the inferno was just a warm breeze. However, it had appeared like he was about to be incinerated, and Artemis screamed.

For some reason this scream was more fearful than any of the ones he heard previously when she had her own life at stake. Percy settled that the reason must be because she was immortal and couldn't really die while if he was roasted to a crisp he'd be dead and buried. Or rather, cremated...

Percy cursed at himself for being distracted when something long and thick whipped against him with so much force it knocked Blackjack backwards several feet. As he blew backwards it seemed as if somebody had taken two knives and drew them back against the skin on his bad arm, leaving long thin scratches. For such superficial wounds, they hurt an awful lot, almost burning.

"Oh Hades!" Percy realised what had happened. The force that had smashed into him had been the serpentine tail of the Chimera, and the two knives had been the poisonous fangs that protruded from the snake's maw. The arm was already weak from where the hellhound had bitten him in the shoulder and he could feel himself steadily losing control of it as it began to jerk widely. He needed the shield to protect Blackjack from the jets of fire that they were assaulted with almost constantly. Percy made a few half-hearted slashes, but there was no doubt that the Chimera was winning the fight…_If only there was some water nearby_…

Scouring the ground, he couldn't see anything, but Artemis caught his eye and pointed towards a place where the undergrowth grew thick. Straining his eyes Percy could just make out the tell-tale shimmer of a stream. He instructed Blackjack on what he wanted to do. _On it, boss._ The pegasi ground his teeth, deftly dodging swipes from the Chimera's dagger-like claws while nimbly avoiding the frequent jets of flame that streamed from the mouth of the goat. It was no easy feat: in one near miss, part of his tail was singed away. The monster, albeit being a very wild beast was as clever as any human. It knew while the blaze couldn't harm Percy, his mount could and they also served as a distraction as the flames obscured his vision.

Percy felt like he was about to pass out, so when Blackjack landed next to the small stream he didn't bother dismounting properly, instead he just rolled of and landed face down in the water.

Percy sighed in relief as he felt his body being cleansed. He felt his skin knit itself back together, and the poison in his blood flushed away by the healing water. He emerged rejuvenated and ready for battle. The only pain left in his shoulder was a dull ache which he could certainly handle. His ankle though was another matter. While the skin had knitted together, it appeared he had sprained the muscle. No matter though – Percy had Blackjack to carry him.

While he was gone the Chimera had returned his focus to his original target, Artemis. Already the goddess was looking worse for wear. She was fighting unarmed against the beast, just attempting to blast it away with silver blasts of power. However, those served only as a momentary deterrent for the monster, who kept returning for more. Artemis had suffered a few cuts from the lion's paws, and it looked as if she'd been kicked by the goat part of the chimera several times too – her skin was covered in purplish bruises already and she seems to be covered in red welts. It seemed that the fire-breathing goat's head had done its damage. She was beginning to tire.

Percy however, felt like he'd just awoken from a refreshing nap. He mounted Blackjack once more and as he bravely brandished his sword and shield and burst into the sky with a battle-cry erupting from his lips. "FOR ANNABETH!"

Artemis wore a sour expression on her face. Percy wondered if she had wished to fight the Chimera by herself. It was doubtful she wished to be saved by a mere boy yet again, but saved by him she shall be, because Percy didn't fancy having to face Apollo and Zeus if he had stood by as Artemis had her essence blasted into Tartarus.

Blackjack climbed higher and higher into the air until the clearing was so far off the chimera seemed to be one of Nico's old myth-o-magic figurines. Percy let out an exhilarated whoop as Blackjack nosedived at an extreme speed, back to the clearing, Percy holding his sword aloft. Their arrival was so quick, so sudden, that Percy managed to plunge riptide into the monsters flank before the beast had time to face him again. Echidna screeched in outrage, but Blackjack dispatched her with a heavy kick to the chest and she crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

Percy turned away from the battle for a moment to check on Artemis's state. She was collapsed on the ground, propping herself up by the elbows panting heavily and bleeding profusely. No time to assist her now though. The chimera was his first order of business.

He turned back to the battle and found himself face to face with the lion's head. It roared in his face, the hot stinking breath of the monster creating a stench so powerful it made him gag. Imagine an ocean of soured milk, mixed with strong French cheeses, rotten eggs, old gym socks, your PE teacher's trainers, and most prominently, the bloody stench of raw meat. Combine all this with classic halitosis and the result is far from pleasant.

Percy was too distracted by the horrendous odour that came from the lion's mouth to think of a clever move so he just forcefully bonked his shield into the lion's face. The chimera hadn't expect it that, and stumbled backwards, landing on its rump looking incredibly confused. Blackjack snickered. _Way to go boss._

The pegasi wasn't the only one present who found the sight amusing. Below them Artemis was snorting with laughter. She was so consumed by mirth that she didn't notice the beast stalking up on her. Percy dived off of the winged horse, breaking his fall with a shoulder roll to take the impact. He dived in front of the Chimera, shoving the goddess out of the way just as the beast swiped the air in front of him, its talon-like claws slicing through his chest like a spoon through ice cream. He yelled out in pain, only to be kicked sharply in the stomach by the monster's cloven hooves which effectively knocked all the wind out of him. He flew backwards with an 'oof' as all the air was forced out of his lungs. He lay on the floor gasping for air. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the chimera stalking towards Artemis, who was backed up against a rock, trapped, with her muscles tensed in fear, and a look of terror on her face.

Percy stumbled to his feet, and somehow made his way towards the chimera without falling down. The goat opened its mouth to fry Artemis, but in the nick of time Percy swung Riptide and it slashed through the goat's muscular neck and caused the head to topple to the ground. The scream of pain from the monster strengthened Percy. The beast was close to death. With a thwack he cut off the serpent that grew from the back-end of the chimera. This only left the majestic looking lion's head. The supposed king of beasts seemed to cower before him, its glorious mane quaking, whimpering softly as if begging for mercy.

Percy's face became cold and haughty. Artemis shivered – it was hauntingly reminiscent of the expression her old lieutenant Zoë Nightshade used to wear.

Percy had hold of the blade with two hands and swinging it through the air like an axe, neatly beheading the chimera, so all that remained around them was 3 neatly decapitated animal heads and a still body. A second later the 4 parts of the chimera collapsed into dust.

Percy turned to smile triumphantly at Artemis. His eyes widened in shock and pain and he keeled forward. A furious cackle sounded behind them. Echidna had recovered consciousness. "That's what you get for killing my son!" She screeched, before turning tail and fleeing into the thick forest.

Artemis felt her bow and quiver return to her, but what had really caught her attention was the son of Poseidon in front of her and most pressingly the long spear that was protruding from his back as he lay unconscious.

Artemis sent a quick prayer asking her twin for help, but he didn't appear. Cursing under her breath she grimaced as she bent down and lifted the son of Poseidon into her arms. It wasn't that he was heavy to her; she was a goddess and superhumanly strong. No, it was the fact that she was holding a guy so close to her. Also, he was pressing against her blistered skin which hurt quite a bit. Still, he had saved her life a multitude of times over the past few years, she owed him this much at least.

Holding him face down to the ground so as to not jostle the spear that still stuck out of his back (she dared not remove it for fear of causing him to lose blood) she looked around, not sure what to do. Then it occurred to her that he would heal in the water, and headed towards the small stream she had pointed out to him earlier in the battle.

As she dropped him into the water, she watched in wonder as it cleansed his body of blood and dirt. The superficial scratches and bruises on his arm faded. Gripping the shaft of the spear tightly, Artemis decided to take her chances removing her spear. She winced as blood gushed out, dyeing the water pink. However, this wound to seem to close even if it was far from healed. There was a beginning of a scab forming and Artemis had no doubt the wound would cause Percy tremendous pain. Nectar and ambrosia may help a little, but she doubted the healing effects would be more potent that the water as it washed over Percy.

As Percy lay in the narrow stream, the colour returning slowly but surely to his pale face, Artemis couldn't help but wish she too could be healed by the water. She was covered by numerous scratches and welts that had been caused by the burns had erupted over her skin.

"Thanks." Artemis jolted upright from inspecting her wounds. Percy smiled weakly at her, before eyeing her wounds curiously, a contemplative expression adorning his features.

Slowly he reached at an arm before placing his hand on Artemis's arm. The goddess stiffened. "Trust me." She relaxed and watched as he closed his eyes. A cool feeling spread through her, but instead of making her feel cold it just refreshed her. Despite not feeling uncomfortable chilly, Artemis shivered at Percy's touch. Her eyes widened as he lifted his hand and where it had been her skin was as smooth and unblemished as ever. Smiling to himself, he slid his hand up her arm, the healing power of the water following the touch of his fingers.

He stopped at her shoulders and didn't touch any part of her torso. The first reason for this was that he didn't want to be turned into a jackalope – not before Gration was dead anyway. The second was because the wounds there were minor, Artemis's clothes taking the brunt of the damage. He turned his attention to the other arm and that healed perfectly too, the bruises fading and the gashes stitching themselves together. Percy smiled in satisfaction. He liked this new ability.

That was the moment however, when he noticed the damage the chimera had inflicted to the goddess's face. It wasn't terrible, just a swollen lip and black eye, but those two injuries rang home for Percy as he had suffered them first hand many a time, thanks to Smelly Gabe.

Tentatively reaching out towards her face, Percy waited for permission to go ahead without being smitten. Artemis's nod was nearly imperceptible. With one finger Percy traced the dark bruise, and it receded at his touch. He began at the eye and worked his way down. Artemis's cheeks seem to flush golden for some reason as Percy brushed his finger softly against her lips. Their eyes met for a second before Percy hastily dropped both his arm and his eyes.

"You've got any more bad wounds?" Percy asked.

"No, I'm fine." Artemis lied: She had a rather nasty cut on her leg, but it was on her inner thigh and as a maiden goddess she had to retain some modesty. "You have my thanks…" Artemis tacked on the expression of gratitude as an afterthought.

"Don't worry about it." Percy gave a small, crooked smile. "It was awesome that I learned to do that. Anyway we should probably get back to camp. I think we should stay there for a couple of nights, just until we're fully recovered."

Artemis nodded her consent.

As the pair walked back towards the campsite they had made they were both hobbling; Percy because of his ankle, and Artemis because of the gash on her leg.

"You're limping." The demigod commented.

"So are you." The retort came back straight away.

They spent the rest of the short walk in amicable silence until it was interrupted by a curse from Percy. "Styx!" He remembered he had packed away his tent. "Lady Artemis, would you-?"

The goddess of the hunt realised the problem and solved it in a matter of seconds. Percy nodded his thanks. "I'm going to have a lie down. I'll probably be an hour or two."

Artemis acknowledged him, before settling down on a log with a canteen of nectar beside her. She wondered why Apollo hadn't answered her plea for help, he usually did.

"I believe I can answer that question Arty!" Trilled the last voice on Olympus Artemis wanted to hear right now.

"Aphrodite, what are you doing here?" Artemis quizzed before adding: "And for the love of Zeus, DON'T. CALL. ME. ARTY!"

"Well, _Arty_, up on Olympus we saw that you two were struggling so Zeus decided to send extra help. We drew names, and, voila, here I am!" She added the last part with a dramatic flourish of the arms.

Groaning, Artemis turned away. "Can't you just leave us be?"

"Nope!" Smiled Aphrodite. "I want to have some fun! I'll be here a few days. Or perhaps I'll stay longer. Regardless, you're not getting rid of me."

Artemis couldn't see anything good coming from the love goddess's idea of fun. She went to inform Percy of the new member of the quest.

She rapped on the tent until she heard a muffled… 'One moment!' When she decided a moment had passed Artemis unzipped the tent and ducked inside. A yelp sounded and Artemis realised Percy wasn't fully dressed. His shirt was halfway round his head, leaving his admirable body on display. Golden ichor flowed to Artemis's cheeks once more as she averted her eyes.

"I told you to wait!" Percy was practically squealing in embarrassment.

"You told me to wait _one moment_... and I did." Artemis was only slightly more composed.

He pulled the shirt down over the rest of his body. While he was now shielding his body from view, his red face was now noticeable. Artemis couldn't help but notice how cute he - no. She refused to think like that.

"I just came to say that Aphrodite is here, and she's going to be joining us for an undetermined period of time." Artemis expected the boy to get excited. Most adolescent males would be overjoyed to spend time with the most beautiful of the goddesses. But not Percy.

Instead he began banging his head against his pillow, groaning miserably. Of all the people that could have joined them, she would've been his last choice. He'd rather have Nancy Bobofit, his old nemesis from Goode along for the journey than the love goddess.

Artemis felt strangely gratified that Percy wasn't happy about the arrival of the love goddess, almost relieved.

As they walked outside to meet Aphrodite, Artemis frowned at the other goddess's attire. It was incredibly skimpy now that she had removed her heavy coat. Artemis didn't approve in the slightest. It almost seemed as if she was going to try and seduce _her_ Percy. Artemis quickly corrected herself. Her questing-partner Percy. Nothing else.

"Percy, daaahhling," Aphrodite drawled flirtatiously. "It's positively _wonderful_ to see you."

Artemis smirked and watched Percy's reaction, waiting for the moment where she could relish Percy's rejection of Aphrodite. His gaze was fixed on the floor but his eyes were narrowed into angry slits. However, as his lifted his head his expression changed. His eyes widened and went round, while his mouth went slack in an expression of pure admiration of Aphrodite.

"It's even better to see you my lady." He took her hand and kissed it, his voice syrupy sweet and full of adoration. Artemis felt torn between slapping him, slapping her, screaming and throwing up. Who knows, maybe she'd do all four.

Artemis was disgusted at how a scantily clad woman could turn what had seemed like a genuine man into a slimy, sickeningly sweet fool. Artemis eyed the pair distastefully. Aphrodite was flipping her hair and flirting like nobody's business while Percy just gazed at her as if he was completely infatuated with the goddess he had despised just a few minutes before.

_Of course!_ The reason for Percy's strange behaviour hit Artemis like a baseball does a bat. Her eyes scanned Aphrodite, and sure enough there it was. Guaranteed to make any man fall hopelessly in love with her, Aphrodite's magic girdle was settled around her slender waist.

_Oh Hades, no!_ Artemis was outraged. Only, of course, for the reason that this would make the quest so much harder. With Percy following Aphrodite around like a lost puppy, they'd never be able to get anything done.

Artemis narrowed her eyes. This was going to be a long couple of days.

**A/N: And there you have it! For those who don't know, Aphrodite's girde is her symbol of power, much like Zeus's master bolt or Poseidon's trident. It causes any man to fall madly, stupidly, head-over-heels in love with her while she wears it. _Any_ man, so that includes our Percy. The next chapter is going to be fun to write ;)**

**Please review!**


	3. Jealousy is the fun you think they had

**Salut!**

**So its been almost 3 weeks since the last update, but I've been busy! And I never promised a quick update or anything, so...**

**Also, I'm back at school now so don't expect fast updates from now on either. Seriously, first proper day back at school and 3 homeworks, one of which is due for tomorrow! **

**Why I chose Spanish as an option I'll never know.**

**Anyway, before the chapter starts:**

**A big thank you as ever to my awesome beta Ageofmyths. I don't know what I'd do with out his motivation and awesome editing skills.**

**Actually, scratch that, I do. I'd update even more slowly, and the chapters would be almost painful to read they'd be so riddled with petty grammar and spelling mistakes. So everybody, give a big thank you to Ageofmyths, because if it weren't for him your eyes would be bleeding for the horror show this story would be.**

**ALSO READ HIS STORIES. THEY ARE AMAZING AND A HALF.**

**Seriously guys. I **_**cap-locked**_** you. ^^ It's obvious I'm not kidding around about this.**

**Also I think its fairly obvious I'm not Rick Riordan. If I was theres no way on god's sweet earth that I'd be writing stuff on fan fiction when I could just publish it. **

**Sheesh, what do you take me for? An idiot?**

**Anyway, thanks to those who review, follow or favourite. I love you all, you are my reason for writing yada yada yada...Review/follow/favourite some more! **

**Sorry for the oversized authors note. It was unnecessary.**

**On with the story:**

Artemis woke up to the sound of howling winds and crashing thunder. It appeared Poseidon, the Storm-bringer, was less than enamoured with the whole 'Aphrodite using her girdle on Percy to make him fall in love with her' situation. Artemis supposed it was a little too close to home for the sea god; Aphrodite had used her girdle on him more than once back in the day.

To tell the truth, Artemis felt like brewing up a storm as well, if only that was within her realm of power. As it was, she settled for glaring at the roof of her tent while musing about ways to get rid of Aphrodite. That same roof came crashing down into her face when a particularly violent gust of wind caused her tent to collapse into a pile of tent poles and shimmering silver canvas. Pushing the fabric off of her with a grumble, Artemis cursed her uncle and his infernal storm.

The sight that greeted her when her vision was cleared made her wish she'd remained blinded by the cloth of her tent covering her eyes. Percy was cradling Aphrodite in his arms as they frolicked around the woods. Yes, _frolicked_. Artemis felt positively ill at the sight of the pair. Percy was averting the rain from landing on them so the two of them remained dry. Artemis however was steadily becoming more and more soaked.

What really got under Artemis' skin, however, were the perfect pink lipstick prints that coated almost every inch of his skin, and the prominent love-bite that seemed to stare back at the huntress. Artemis felt a surge of angry jealousy course through her. This was followed by a wave of flustered disbelief. _No, no, Hades no! _Artemis couldn't believe it. She was once again finding herself attracted to a son of Poseidon. Now she thought about it Percy looked very much like his brother Orion; he had the same mussed up black hair, and sea green eyes. Artemis felt her face become hot; she was both embarrassed and angry.

"Aphrodite, can I talk with you for a minute?" Artemis controlled the anger in her voice as much as she could hoping her tone could at least pass for civil. She succeeded partly but she couldn't keep the edge from her voice.

"Well that depends, _Arty!" _Aphrodite simpered sickeningly. Artemis quite literally wanted to gag. "…On whether Percy wants to let me go." She wriggled in his arms and Percy drew her closer to him, pressing his lips to her neck. "Guess that's a no! Sorry Arty!" Aphrodite trilled.

It took all of Artemis's will power to stop herself from slaughtering the love goddess right then.

Stalking away angrily, Artemis waved her hand and resurrected her collapsed tent, this time with far stronger foundations, as the storm was still in full force. Shaking herself dry, she slumped down on to the comfy bedroll that was lying on the floor of her tent with a scowl etched firmly on to her delicate features. As she leaned forward to zip up the tent she caught a glimpse of Aphrodite and Percy deeply involved in a game of tonsil hockey. Instinctively she reached for her bow but stopped herself. She didn't want to cause a war on Olympus by shooting a fellow goddess.

Actually, that wasn't quite true. In all honesty, she'd _want_ to. Only her sense of responsibility prevented her from sending an arrow flying into Aphrodite's skull.

She lay in the tent doing nothing for a while before soundproofing it. This was necessary because of the incessant giggles and comments of 'I love you oh my beautiful Aphrodite' that reached Artemis's sensitive ears.

She relaxed for a while, taking a nap until she was woken up by a terrible roaring sound, so loud that it broke through the sound-proofing wards that she had placed around the tent. Cautiously climbing out, she was greeted by a blast of hot stinking air being exhaled into her face. All she could see was the inside of a huge mouth, fully equipped with razor sharp teeth. Razor sharp teeth that happened to be heading right towards her.

Diving to the floor Artemis shoulder-rolled away, quickly regaining her footing and summoning her bow. Now she was further away she could identify the huge beast. It was a lion, the size of a lorry. The Nemean Lion.

Artemis felt slightly gleeful when the monster took his focus off of her and placed it on a screaming Aphrodite. However, when Percy jumped in front of the love goddess and shielded her with nothing but his own body, Artemis's heart took residence in her throat and she freaked out. Percy's gazed defiantly at the lion, willing to embrace death in order to save the woman he _thought _he loved. Artemis couldn't let the lion kill the demi-god, unable to even contemplate the thought of Percy dying.

That's when it hit Artemis. She was more than just attracted to Percy. She had actual feelings for him. _Emotional _feelings. She shuddered at the thought of actually liking a man, but buried the thoughts as she sprung into action.

Nocking an arrow, Artemis aimed her arrow at the lion. She let it loose and it flew at what should have been a deadly speed towards the lion. However, due to the beast's impenetrable pelt the arrow merely ricocheted off of the animal, but it did have the intended effect.

The Nemean lion turned on Artemis leaving Percy and Aphrodite safe.

Artemis, however, was very much in danger. She hadn't quite thought this plan through. She was backed against a tree with the beast stalking towards her, getting ready to pounce.

She called to Percy for help but he was busy stroking Aphrodite's hair. That however, filled her with the angry adrenaline she needed to beat this mighty foe. She charged at the lion, and it appeared to be taken aback. It seemed even more surprised when she launched herself onto its back with a wild battle cry.

It attempted to buck her off, but to no avail. Gripping the beast tightly with her knees she managed to steer it out of their clearing. It rampaged through the heavily wooded area with Artemis riding it.

They reached the edge of the forest quickly as the lion had been travelling at an alarming speed. Unfortunately, at the end of the woods there was a large cliff. A large cliff, which the Nemean lion was heading straight towards. Artemis's sharp mind realised she could use it to her advantage. Maybe. If she was lucky.

Taking a deep breath, Artemis spurred the Nemean lion forwards in a straight line. It attempted to skid to a halt before it reached the edge, but the momentum it had built up was too much and it topple over the edge, bringing Artemis with it.

As the pair were dropping through the air Artemis released the lion, and reached out with her hand, taking grip of a branch that grew from the cliff side. Artemis breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the Nemean lion hit the ground a hundred feet below and shatter into gold dust before really contemplating her undesirable situation.

She was hanging from a branch halfway down a cliff-face - a branch that was slowly being pulled from the rock as the roots were teased loose by her weight hanging from it.

No, this was most certainly not a predicament you wanted to be in.

_Oh hades,_ Artemis thought, before her thoughts changed, and she whispered out loud. "Oh Percy…"

Almost as if she summoned him, the son of Poseidon swooped by on a black pegasus, the same one that helped him defeat the chimera. Artemis sighed in relief, before snarling slightly under her breath as she realised that he wasn't here to rescue her but was actually taking a pleasure trip with Aphrodite. The aforementioned love goddess was clinging tightly to Percy, her face buried in his neck as she squealed every time the demi-god urged the pegasus to perform a nose-dive or a loop-the-loop. After watching the unpleasant sight for a moment Artemis had had enough.

"Perseus!" The demi-god merely ignored her. "Perseus Jackson! A little assistance would be most helpful of you."

Finally, Percy turned to see the goddess. "Oh, hello lady Artemis! What are you doing here?"

If Artemis hadn't been clinging on to a branch with both hands she may not have been able to stop herself from smiting him. The girdle made him even less fun to be around than a love sick satyr. Of course, the satyrs were obsessing over her, and not for someone else. Artemis couldn't help but feel that she might actually quite enjoy it if Percy was infatuated with her rather than Aphrodite. Returning her thoughts to the matter at hand, she fixed a haughty expression on her face; in situations like these it is important to keep any remaining dignity intact.

"Well, _Perseus_, while you and Aphrodite were having fun, I was busy killing the Nemean Lion, and in doing so I found myself stuck in this rather undesirable situation, and some help would be _very_ much appreciated." She plastered a sarcastic smile on her face, and he grinned back, completely oblivious to her sardonic tone.

"Sure Lady Artemis! What can my love and I do for you?" He turned around at started kissing Aphrodite passionately, as if just thinking of her got him entirely distracted - which, due to the magic of the girdle, it probably did.

Artemis rolled her eyes, and considering merely releasing the branches and plummeting down the drop just to avoid having to put up with this aspect of Percy. He was just so _annoying_. She almost preferred the demi-god when he was all mournful and morose. At least then he wasn't sucking face with the love goddess.

"Well, actually Perseus, I was hoping you and your flying horse could take me back up to the top of the cliff." Artemis Indicated upwards with her head.

"Sure!" He grinned, but then his pegasus whinnied and his face fell. "Blackjack says he can only take two and I don't really want to be separated from Aphrodite."

Artemis could have sworn she saw the love goddess's pearly white smile falter for a split second, and was almost certain Aphrodite had rolled her eyes slightly. Apparently she wasn't the only one that found this needy, clingy version of Percy annoying.

"Percy, dear, it will be fine. Just leave me up the top; I'll see you in a minute." She patted his arm.

He looked uncomfortable with it but did so anyway. When he returned for Artemis, she gladly wrapped her arms around his firm waist. She wouldn't admit it, but she may have felt his stomach slightly through his shirt, and she marvelled at his wonderfully sculpted body.

She didn't even realise they landed until he coughed uncomfortably, and untangled himself from his arms.

The beam had solidly returned to Aphrodite's face when she saw the scowl firmly set into the moon goddess's features. Aphrodite, although not renowned for being the smartest goddess was quite capable of putting two and two together to make four.

And in this case, 'four' was the fact that Lady Artemis had taken a liking to Percy.

Aphrodite berated herself for not having seen it before; he was just _so_ like Orion it would have been near impossible for Artemis not to have some of those old feelings rekindle in her.

And, as much as Aphrodite had enjoyed 'spending time' with Percy, the fact that Artemis _finally_ had feelings for a man again was too good to miss.

Percy had once again wrapped her in his arms, so shimmying out of the girdle wasn't easy but she managed it. As soon as it was off completely, he tensed then relaxed completely, and Aphrodite fell to the ground with a sharp jolt.

"Oof!" It was probably the most unladylike sound that had ever passed through Aphrodite's lips.

Percy's eyes seemed to clear, and he shook his head violently. Then, he looked up at Aphrodite and his faced morphed into one of confusion.

"Aphrodite, what are you doing here?"

"Nothing dear!" She trilled before disappearing into a cloud of pink perfumed glitter.

"What was that about?!" Percy turned bemusedly to Artemis for answers.

She merely punched him in the gut and walked away.

That night, Artemis had an unexpected visitor.

"Hello, _Arty._" Artemis ignored the love goddess in the hope, stopping in her tracks as if time had frozen, hoping Aphrodite would get confused and go away.

No such luck.

"It seems you have feelings for a certain demi-god son of Poseidon…"

Rolling her eyes, Artemis turned around. "Orion? That's old news Aphrodite." She said dismissively.

"Ha! I knew you liked him!" It was a long running argument between the two of them about whether or not Artemis had liked Orion as more than a friend or not. However, not allowing herself to get distracted any further she returned to the subject she came to discuss. "But anyway, I was referring to Percy." Artemis declined to comment. "Well anyway dear, I came to leave you with a few presents." She waved her hand and a shimmering pile of objects appeared before Artemis. "Truth potion, love arrows, my girdle, a guide to love, some _decent_ _clothes_, some make up…" She continued, but Artemis zoned out…

_Wait, what?! _Artemis thoughts sprung to attention. _Her girdle? But that's her symbol of power._

Turning to address the other goddess she realised that Aphrodite had left.

Artemis settled down for the night but her last action before she drifted into sleep was to reach out and touch the girdle, contemplating the possibilities.

**A/N: So thats all for now folks! I can't promise I'lll update soon, but I will say reviews are pretty good inspiration! *wink wink nudge nudge***

**I enjoy flames (thanks Prometheus!) by the way, so feel free to shoot one my way. they make me laugh. **


	4. Shallow appearances

**Well, it's been a while. **

**A long while.**

**Sorry.**

**Here goes.**

Artemis woke up the next morning to find she was gripping Aphrodite's girdle so hard you'd think it was trying to escape.  
When she laid eyes on it however, she dropped it like it was a scalding hot rod of metal, wiping her hands on a towel which she quickly burned before replacing it with another. She neither wished nor needed to be contaminated with any of Aphrodite's love magic.  
Waving her hand over the girdle, it vanished only to appear back in the tent a moment later, this time with a note attached.

'Artie, darling,  
I know you must feel unworthy of wearing my girdle, but trust me dear, you definitely are.  
If you would just let me, spruce your hair, add a bit of lip stick, yes, yes like tha- no wait, a little Artemis had the strange feeling of some invisible pair of hands fiddling with her hair, patting and ruffling it. She also felt smooth pressure sliding along her lips leaving some kind of slightly sticky residue. Artemis rubbed at her lips furiously but whatever was on her lips stayed firmly there, nothing coming off on the back of her hand.

'Now, now Artie dear, that's not going to accomplish anything, is it? This is my Olympus #1 Brand 'Vibrance of Venus' make up range. It will last all day!  
You do look pretty, but... I think I'm going to have to go all out on you if you really want to grab Percy's attention...'

Artemis was now very almost certain that the letter was writing itself before her eyes, despite that when she read it, it seemed like it had been there the entire time.  
Artemis was broken from these thoughts when her face was attacked by an assortment of brushes. Clutching her face in a fruitless effort to block the invisible make-up artists, a cloud of thick powder erupted in her face, causing her to start choking. The tickles of some invisible soft-bristled make up brush against her cheek, made her laugh slightly as well, making breathing even harder for her.  
When the relentless barrage of hands and brushes prodding and rubbing at her finally died down, Artemis felt her eyelids begin to droop from the weight of whatever gunk was coating her eyelashes. Her face felt like it was suffocating, covered in some gloop that had been rubbed over her face.

'Artie, darling, you look like a total fox!'

Artemis cringed at that.

'Now, I've laid out a nice outfit for you, and you will wear it. And remember Artie, the girdle is enchanted to stay with you until you either put it on, or you honestly don't want it. Such fun!  
Lots of love,  
Your favourite goddess, Aphrodite.'

P.S. I wouldn't sleep gripping the girdle like that if you don't wish for certain side effects…

Turning away from the note disgustedly Artemis spotted some of the clothes from the assortment Aphrodite had left the previous night. The underwear was lacy and very skimpy, the bra push-up and the knickers a thong. Artemis took one look at these and refused to wear them, instead opting for a far more modest set of her own.  
She did however, after much internal debating put on the outer-wear the love goddess had laid out for her.  
There was a pair of tight leather trousers accompanied by a tight white top that cut off at her midriff. To go over this was a startlingly crimson leather jacket.  
The shoes Aphrodite put out were bright red high heeled ankle boots, but Artemis decided against wearing them because the shoes were hideously inappropriate for the long day of travelling that Artemis and Percy had ahead of them. Instead she settled for her own comfortable pair of hunting boots. She reached over to Aphrodite's note, ready to crumple it into a ball and burn it away but at the lightest touch from her delicate fingers it sprung upwards and outwards to become a full-length mirror.

Artemis caught her reflection in the shiny surface and gasped in astonishment.

Her lips had been painted into a shockingly scarlet pout, full and luscious.

Her eyes were rimmed in black eyeliner; not as thick as her lieutenant Thalia's but certainly enough to make her eyes stand out. The gunk on her eye lashes may not be the most comfortable of things, but it did make them look long and thick with a delightful curve to them. A soft coating of shimmery silver eye shadow made her eyelid glitter, and caused the silver of her eyes to stand out.

The shape of her eyebrows had changed. Instead of their normally flat-ish shape that allowed her to keep her infamously stoic expression, they rose in high arches giving the impression that she was permanently surprised. The colour also differed from how they were before. They were only slightly darker, but the minute change in shade gave them definition they had previously lacked.

Her hair was glossier and had more volume than before, falling down her back in shiny ringlets, while the thick coating of makeup on Artemis' skin caused to look smooth and tanned, with the slightest hint of a rosy colour on her cheeks.

Artemis thought she actually looked quite good, and was pleased with the result, even if changing yourself to entice a man didn't quite fit in with her values.

When she saw how the outfit looked on her however, she felt self-conscious and quite indecent.

The leather trousers seemed to have moulded themselves to her shapely legs, while the white midriff top clung to her skin emphasizing her chest and leaving her flat stomach bare.  
The only part of the outfit she liked was the fitted jacket, the red leather nipping in at her tiny waist, studs lining the collar.

Despite feeling uncomfortable in her attire, Artemis ventured outside, pulling at the shirt, desperately trying to cover a little extra skin.

The instant she spotted Percy she felt herself grow upwards before sinking slightly into the damp ground. An instant pain hit the tendon in the arch of her foot. Looking down she saw that her hunting boots had be replaced by the ankle boots she had declined to wear. A slight gasp escaped her mouth as the strap of her bra tightened on her back and her chest was lifted upwards by some kind of cushioning, and her underwear seemed to shrink into itself and the bare skin of her buttocks chafed uncomfortably against the leather trousers.

' I told you to wear the clothes I laid out Artemis!' Aphrodite scolded her mentally before Artemis closed her mind angrily, barring the love goddess from speaking to her through thought.

She made to dive back into her tent in an attempt to hide but the rustling of her tent door alerted Percy instantly, and he turned around from where he was busy packing up his already dismantled tent.

"Good morning Art-" His eyes bugged and Artemis felt a slight sense of gratification.  
"Sorry ma'am I thought you were my frie- my uh, travelling partner2

Her eyes narrowed. "Perseus, it is I, Artemis."

"No way, the Artemis I know wouldn't dress like _that_... besides you look nothing like her." Percy waved a hand dismissively.

"Dress like what boy?" Artemis' eyes flashed dangerously but Percy remained oblivious.

"Like a prostitute," The words slipped from his mouth carelessly before he realized what he had said and covered his mouth with his hand. "I'm sorry ma'am I didn't mean..." He trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"If you didn't actually wish to die, I would smite you right now boy." Artemis narrowed her eyes, and Percy finally realized that the woman was in fact Artemis, and that he'd compared the virgin goddess of the hunt to someone who sold her body to men.

"Oh, err, Lady Artemis...I didn't realise..." Percy stuttered. He cursed himself for it instantly but could help blurting out one quick question. "What the Hades happened to you?"

Artemis was lost for words. A bubble of hurt grew inside her until it was on the verge of bursting. She growled something incoherent at Percy with a snarl on her face before she stalked away, away from him as she had a feeling when the bubble finally burst she would begin to cry and there was no way she'd let him see her so vulnerable.

Meanwhile Percy was kicking himself for being so tactless. Why did he always have to blurt out whatever came into his head?

He decided to find Artemis and apologize to her. That way she might forgive him just enough to wait until after Gration was dead to punish him.

He hunted for a while before he found her. She was in a foetal position, sobbing gently. He knelt beside her awkwardly and made to pat her on the back but thought better of it and withdrew his hand.

"Lady Artemis, I'm very sorry. I'm a tactless, ignorant, pig-headed male. I'm useless, I'm horrible, disgusting rude, a disgrace..." Percy continued until Artemis raised a hand to silence him.

"No, you aren't most of those things Perseus. You're a good man...even if you could do with a few lessons on tact." Her mouth twitched in a kind of half-smile. "In regards to 'what the Hades happened to me', Aphrodite did. She gave me a makeover and a set of enforced clothes."

"Why would Aphrodite give you a makeover now? That's just stupid of her, who is there to look at it except me and the occasional monster?" Percy, for once not completely oblivious, noticed the pained on expression on Artemis' face. "Me?" An incredulous laugh bubbled forth from his mouth. "You and I? That's hilarious! I don't think of you that way at all! I don't think of any girl that way at the minute." His face fell and his laugh died. His downtrodden demeanour washed over him once more.

Percy's amusement of the thought of her as anything but a friend shot a chasm through Artemis' heart but she brush past it, instead pressing him about his last comment

"Because you're still in love with that Athena girl?"

"Yeah…I think I always have loved her. I liked her anyway, straight from the moment I me her. And then we finally got together, and just four months later Hera kidnaps me and tears us apart. Then we're on the big quest to save the world _again_, and we survived Tartarus, and Rome, and all the while she was all I could think about-"

"I thought Hera caused you to lose your memories when you went to Camp Jupiter?"

"Not of Annabeth. I never forgot her, not for a single moment." His voice was wistful, whilst Artemis' expression was sour. "I loved her so much…The only girls other than her I ever had feelings for were Thalia and Zoe, but those were teensy little crushes compared to what I felt for Annabeth, even before we were together..." He flinched away from her slightly when her eyes glinted dangerously.

"Are you telling me you had romantic feelings for two of my lieutenants?" Artemis' voice was incredulous and came out high pitched and slightly screechy.

"Well, uh, Thals wasn't a huntress at the time and Zoe... she was just Zoe. How could I not like her? So aloof and unattainable… Every guy wants what he can't have…"

_I'm the least eligible female out there, and you don't seem to want me, _Artemis thought_._

Artemis conceded. He had known Thalia before she became a huntress, and as he said Zoe was... well Zoe as he had put it. They sat in silence for a while before Artemis asked, seemingly out of the blue, "Apollo said you liked the oracle?" Although it was technically a statement, it came out as more of a question.

Surprised, Percy hesitated before flushing a deep crimson. "Well... We may have kissed once... Before she became the oracle and I began dating Annabeth."

It disgusted Artemis that she felt jealousy rise from the pit of her stomach. Silence fell once again.

"Perseus..." Artemis asked in a small voice, "Why do you consider the idea of me and you so laughable? Do you think me to be ugly?"

"Not at all my lady." Percy couldn't believe she thought he could consider her ugly. She was a goddess and attractive judged even by the gods' standards. "It's more that you can't stand men and vowed eternal maidenhood."

"I know one man I can stand..." Artemis murmured. Tilting her head to the side she moved her head forward slightly. Her silver eyes locked with his green ones and Percy found himself sitting their frozen as Artemis moved closer to him.

Their faces were just inches apart when the leaves of a tree rustled and a crow flew out with a loud squawk. Artemis jumped slightly and pulled something out of Percy's hair. "Twig." She said in an explanatory tone before leaping to her feet and smoothing her attire, all the while fighting the golden blush that threatened to rise to her cheeks.

"Well, uh... We should set off soon." Percy commented awkwardly. The sun was high in the sky so it was around noon.

Set off they did, in an uncomfortable silence. While Percy was unaware that the virgin goddess of the hunt had almost kissed him, he was deep in his mournful reverie once more. Artemis however, was simultaneously hoping that he would and wouldn't bring it up and every so often would steal a glance in his direction.

After a couple of hours Percy broke the quiet. "So, those clothes can't be comfortable to travel in..."

"Hades, no. These trousers chafe horribly, this jacket is stifling me, and my ankles are painful because of these infernal boots! And if you believe that's unfortunate, you should view the undergarments Aphrodite imposed upon me!" Artemis said this last part without thinking but instantly regretted it, a hot blush rising to her cheeks.

They fell into an awkward lull once again, and remained like this until they settled down for the night once more.

They had made perhaps 15 miles of progress that day. It would have been more if Artemis hadn't been suffering trying to trek cross-country in the clothes Aphrodite selected.

Percy lit a campfire using his powers from Hestia and the pair settled around it and shared stories of their adventures. Artemis, being several millennia older than Percy had many more tales to tell than the young demi-god. However she only had a few that were more exciting than Percy's accounts of his quests for they were truly riveting stories. They were the kind of story that in Ancient Greece would be immortalised through theatre or other more tangible forms of art like paintings or pottery.

As they shared their stories they came to know each other better. Perseus learned about the time Artemis had lost her love Orion, and the disgust she felt at the lies her brother Apollo spread to sully Orion's image. Her twin never could let her live her life. When she finally found someone she thought was worth letting her walls down for, her brother tricked her into killing him.

Percy hesitantly patted her shoulder comfortingly as Artemis voice broke slightly, saddened by speaking of her lost love. Her wistful expression morphed into one of anger as she recalled the lies Apollo had spread about Orion. His claims that Orion raped her lieutenant were utterly false. However, in the beginning she had believed them too, and consequently she had murdered her lover.

After listening to Artemis' woeful tale, Percy did something he hadn't done since Annabeth's death. He opened up to her. The emotional tension built up as he spoke of every sweet moment he and Annabeth had shared, right up until her death, staring into the fire as he spoke, as if he could see the memories playing out in front of him. That, however, is when things turned sour. Hesitantly, Artemis had laid a comforting hand upon his shoulder, only to jerk it back with a gasp of pain and shock. Percy's whole body was alight with dark, evil-looking bottle green flames. He spun to face her, a wild, feral look in his eyes. "Don't touch me." He spat furiously. A few moments passed like that, Percy glowering ferociously at the goddess while she just sat in shock.

"It was your fault." His voice was low this time, and it came as a shock to Artemis when his quiet voice broke the silence. "Everybody else killed their nemesis, why couldn't you? WHY COULDN'T YOU?" Fury was building almost tangibly around him, and Artemis shivered as the wind picked up, blustering around her.

"I-I-I, I'm s-sorry?" Artemis stuttered unconfidently, a rare thing for the goddess.

"To Hades with your apologies." Percy hissed dismissively, before storming back to his tent, vanquishing the fire with a swipe of his hand, and leaving Artemis shivering in the cold, wondering what the hell just happened.


End file.
